DIY SEO: How To Do SEO Yourself for Your Small Business

Certainly! DIY SEO is not only possible but also a common starting point for many SEO experts. You don’t necessarily need a specialist to optimize your website. By familiarizing yourself with SEO best practices and leveraging various SEO tools, you can manage SEO in-house.

Many SEO professionals began their journey with do-it-yourself (DIY) SEO. With some dedicated time, access to free SEO tools, and the assistance of this comprehensive guide on self-performing SEO, you can also evolve into an SEO expert.

So, if you’re pondering the question, “Can I do SEO on my own?” rest assured that you can. Continue reading to discover the ins and outs of DIY SEO! For those eager to kickstart the process promptly, simply input your website’s URL here. You’ll receive an immediate SEO audit complete with recommendations and explanations on enhancing your site’s SEO.

Importance of DIY SEO for Small Businesses

Small businesses often operate on limited budgets, making the investment in professional SEO services challenging. DIY SEO emerges as a cost-effective alternative, allowing businesses to allocate resources smartly while actively participating in their online visibility and growth. This guide aims to equip small business owners and individuals with the insights and skills needed to navigate the DIY SEO landscape successfully.

Understanding DIY SEO

What is DIY SEO?

At its core, DIY SEO refers to the practice of optimizing a website’s content and structure without relying on external SEO professionals or agencies. It involves learning and implementing SEO strategies independently to enhance a website’s visibility on search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo.

The Evolution of DIY SEO

In the early days of the internet, SEO was a relatively straightforward task. However, as search engines became more sophisticated, the need for specialized knowledge grew. The DIY SEO movement gained momentum with the democratization of information, online tutorials, and the availability of user-friendly SEO tools.

Benefits of DIY SEO

Cost-Effectiveness

One of the primary advantages of DIY SEO is its cost-effectiveness. Instead of allocating a significant budget to hire SEO professionals, individuals and small businesses can invest time in learning and implementing SEO practices without breaking the bank.

Control and Flexibility

DIY SEO grants users unparalleled control over their strategies. Business owners can adapt quickly to changing circumstances, experiment with different approaches, and tailor their SEO efforts to suit the unique needs of their websites.

Continuous Learning

Engaging in DIY SEO fosters continuous learning. As search engine algorithms evolve, DIY SEO practitioners can stay informed about the latest trends and best practices, ensuring their websites remain optimized and competitive.

How To Perform DIY SEO for Your Website

Assessing Your Current SEO Status

Before diving into DIY SEO, it’s crucial to evaluate your website’s current SEO status. Conducting an SEO audit helps identify strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement. Various online tools and platforms provide insights into factors such as website speed, mobile-friendliness, and keyword rankings.

Setting Realistic Goals

Establishing clear and realistic goals is a fundamental step in any SEO strategy. Whether the aim is to increase organic traffic, improve keyword rankings, or enhance user engagement, defining objectives helps guide your DIY SEO efforts.

Do Effective Keyword Research

The first thing you do when working on SEO is find the right words people use to search online. This is called keyword research. Knowing what people search for is important because it’s based on real information. Before you start, think about what your page is about.

For instance, you might think many people search for “cotton white men shirt.” But when you do some keyword research, you find not many people search for that. However, more people search for “white shirt for parties.” This gives you a better keyword to use and focus on in your content.

To start looking for keywords, you can use free or paid tools. Pick a tool and use it to find out how many times people search for each keyword every month. Then, go to Google and type “allintitle:your keyword” into the search bar. The number of results you see tells you how many others are using that keyword; more results mean more competition.

Ideally, you want to use keywords that many people search for and don’t have much competition. But it’s not always easy to find those.

If your first keywords don’t work well, try changing them a bit or use a feature in your tool to find more keywords. For example, with Google Ads Keyword Planner, you can use the keyword discovery function to find different options.

Perform On Page Optimization

On-page SEO is the stuff you do on your own website to make it better for search engines. This includes things like the words on your pages, the information about your pages, and the links between your pages. Every piece of content on your site, like blog posts or main pages, needs to have these things.

For the information about your pages (metadata), you need to include:

• Meta title tag: This is the main title people see in search results. Put your main keyword (and a second one if you can) in it. Sometimes, Google might change this title.
• Meta description tag: This shows up under the title in search results. Write it to tell users what the page is about and to encourage them to click. Use your keywords wisely.
• Page URL: This is the website address that shows up in search results and in the browser. Include your main keyword but don’t make the URL too long.
• Image file name: When you upload a picture, give it a name. It’s good to use your main or second keyword in the file name.
• Image alt text: This is a description of a picture for people who use screen readers. Include one of your keywords while describing the image.

For the words on your page (body copy), make sure to use your keywords naturally. If you choose good keywords, you won’t have to force them into your writing. Don’t use them too much, though, or it might look like you’re trying too hard (keyword stuffing).

Lastly, try to link from the page you’re working on to other pages on your website (internal links). This helps search engines understand your content better. It also makes it easier for users to know where to go next on your site.

Publish High Quality Content

Publishing high-quality content is the backbone of a successful online presence. It goes beyond just putting words on a page – it’s about creating valuable, relevant, and engaging material that resonates with your audience. High-quality content not only captivates readers but also establishes trust, authority, and credibility for your brand or website.

To craft content of exceptional quality, start by thoroughly researching your topic, ensuring accuracy and providing valuable insights. Incorporate your unique perspective, experiences, or expertise to make the content distinctive. Structure your content logically, using clear headings, subheadings, and a coherent flow that guides the reader through the information.

Pay attention to grammar, spelling, and overall writing style to maintain professionalism. Utilize multimedia elements like images, infographics, or videos to enhance visual appeal and understanding. Additionally, make your content actionable – provide takeaways, solutions, or calls to action that encourage reader engagement.

Remember, high-quality content not only attracts organic traffic but also has the potential to be shared across various platforms, amplifying your reach. Consistently delivering content that adds value to your audience’s lives establishes your brand as a go-to resource, fostering long-term relationships and loyalty.

Perform Backlink Building

Backlink building remains a cornerstone of effective SEO strategies. These are links from external websites pointing to your site, indicating credibility and authority to search engines. High-quality backlinks can significantly impact your website’s ranking on search engine results pages (SERPs).

Strategies for Effective Backlink Building

• Guest Posting: Contribute valuable content to authoritative websites in your niche, earning a backlink in return.
• Influencer Outreach: Build relationships with influencers who can share your content, creating valuable backlinks.
• Content Promotion: Actively promote your content across social media and other platforms, increasing its visibility and likelihood of earning backlinks.
• Participation in Industry Forums: Engage in relevant forums, contributing valuable insights and naturally incorporating backlinks when appropriate.
• Broken Link Building: Identify broken links on reputable sites and suggest your content as a replacement, earning a valuable backlink.

Improve Technical SEO

Technical SEO focuses on optimizing the backend elements of your website, ensuring it is search engine-friendly. This involves enhancing site speed, mobile optimization, and various technical aspects that contribute to a seamless user experience.

Key Technical SEO Practices

• Site Speed Optimization: Improve page loading times to enhance user experience and meet search engine preferences.

• Mobile Optimization: Ensure your website is responsive and user-friendly on various devices, particularly mobile devices.
• Structured Data Markup: Implement structured data to provide search engines with additional information about your content.

• XML Sitemaps and Robots.txt: Create and submit XML sitemaps to assist search engines in crawling and indexing your pages effectively. Use robots.txt to guide search engine bots on which pages to crawl.
• Canonical Tags: Use canonical tags to prevent duplicate content issues and establish the preferred version of a page.

Local SEO

For businesses targeting local audiences, Local SEO is instrumental in enhancing visibility within specific geographic regions. This involves optimizing your online presence to attract local customers and drive foot traffic to physical locations.

Local SEO Strategies

• Google My Business Optimization: Ensure your Google My Business profile is complete and accurate, including business information, hours, and customer reviews.
• Local Citations: List your business on local directories and citation websites, maintaining consistency in business information.
• Localized Content: Create content tailored to local interests and events to resonate with the local audience.
• Customer Reviews: Encourage and manage customer reviews, as positive reviews can positively impact local search rankings.
• Local Link Building: Seek local backlinks from community websites, local news outlets, and other regional sources.

Monitoring and Analytics

Regular monitoring and analysis are crucial for assessing the effectiveness of your SEO strategies. By leveraging analytics tools, you gain insights into user behavior, website performance, and the impact of your optimization efforts.

Key Metrics to Monitor

• Organic Traffic: Track the volume of visitors coming to your site through organic search.
• Keyword Rankings: Monitor the positions of your target keywords on search engine results pages.
• User Behavior: Understand how users interact with your site, including bounce rates, page views, and time spent on pages.
• Conversion Rates: Measure the effectiveness of your content in converting visitors into customers or achieving other desired actions.

FAQs on DIY SEO